Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Posted on March 12, 2012

Today is my last Monday.

And if feels incredible. Ever since I gave my two-weeks notice at work, that heavy feeling that has haunted me for so many Sunday nights and Monday mornings over the past several months has been gone. No more anxieties about what crazy work politics or project stresses might come up that week. No worrying about today’s priorities and if they will get done. Really, it is incredible.

Now, that isn’t to say that I’m not feeling a new sort of anxiety. As I get closer to the launch of my new site and dare I say it, new life, things in that world seem scarier and more intimidating. Right now I’m set to launch two weeks from today and as that day gets closer new thoughts of self-doubt form every day. Maybe my cookies aren’t as good as I think. Maybe this shipping plan is completely wrong. Maybe my brownies are too fudgy to make it to California. Maybe I am just completely insanely nuts for leaving my day job and embarking on this new world. And that is only a small portion if it.

Leaving the corporate world to start my own business and work on something I am 100% passionate about is absolutely exciting, but it has its own nerve-racking elements that just come with the territory. And as much as they like to keep me up at night just a bit, I think that is a good thing. Because honestly, what better motivation is there to succeed than the fear of failure?

This Monday is the end of an old world and the beginning of a new me.

On a completely unrelated note, I made these cookies for my sister’s birthday a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to make a few gluten-free recipes that didn’t include any crazy ingredients. This recipe calls for almond meal which you can actually make yourself by grinding raw almonds in a food processor. Almond flour is finer and might even improve the consistency, but either way you should end up with a chewy cookie oozing with chocolate and how can that be bad?

This is SO exciting! You have to be slightly insane to quit your job and start up a business, but in a good way. The insanity will translate into passion and passion is what will make your business a huge success (that and the amazing cakes, you rock at that).

These look delicious. I often find ground almonds add a lovely moistness to cakes and cookies and if it makes them gluten free, even better :-)

1. Your stress & nervousness is totally normal. I know you’ll be fine. You’ll be successful and happy and wonderful in no time. A little worrying just shows how much you care.
2. I love that you made a GF recipe without using funky ingredients. I have a friend who’s GF, but I don’t like to go to the store just for xantham gum & whatever else weird stuff they put in their baked goods. Thanks! :)

I’m so excited for you! You might have a new type of anxiety, but aren’t baking related anxieties better than corporate world anxieties? :)

I love that these don’t use any crazy ingredients. I’ve been trying some grain free recipes recently and hate getting all excited over something, only to see that it includes something crazy. These I can do!

These look like some wonderful ooey gooey cookies. Just think now the stresses are things you can control (for the most part) and you will certainly be able to come up with solutions for whatever comes up.

I think it’s awesome that you are taking a risk and doing what you are passionate about. Even though I’m young and all, and maybe a bit naive, I believe that you should always do what you are passionate about and the rest will follow. My parents have always told me to do something I am passionate about, that way I will put my best work into it. I can’t wait to order goodies from you! Your stuff always looks so incredible and I’m sure you will do amazing. These cookies look awesome, can’t believe they’re GF. You have an incredibly lucky sister :)

MMM!!! The melty chocolate on these guys is just so tempting.
Congratulations on your last week! Funny, I still have dreams about my accounting/corporate life and it’s been 15 years. Lately it’s been about a program that I wrote and I’m looking at it and I can’t remember the formulas… I think I’ve finally truly forgotten them!! Woo Hoo!!
Congratulations again, I really can’t express how happy I am for you!

Ooooo I am so envious of you! I am thankfully at the very start of my work-life (as in just got my AA) and after two years of knowing I won’t be passionate about what I was getting into I finally decided to go to pastry school. I can’t imagine how nerve wracking it would be to be a few long years into a job and finally throw up my hands!

But I know just from looking at your lovely bakes that you will most definitely be successful. :) Best of luck and ditto to all of those saying to sit down to a nice glass of wine (or champagne! What an occasion to celebrate!) and some cookies and look forward to the wonderful, and joyous, days ahead of you.

These look so yummy! We’re having friends over this weekend and they recently went GF and I’d love to make these for dessert but I am unfamiliar with GF things. Are any other ingredients listed things that I need to make sure say gluten free or are they already gluten free ingredients (did that make sense)?

I’m not an expert but I think the only thing you need to check is the chocolate. Most chocolate is gluten-free but there is a chance that some can be made in a facility with gluten. Let me know if you make them!